I came across a podcast I just had to listen to because it was about the relationship between exercise and the brain, exercise as treatment for ADHD. I have had an ongoing series in this blog about wellness and the struggle to maintain fitness and I try to throw in there from time to time how my mental health is affected.

Justine Ruotolo talks with Dr John Ratey about exercise and how it improves the Neuroplasticity of our minds. Justine and Dr. Ratey talk about rigorous exercise of the body as well as meditation (exercise of the mind) and how our brain is similar to a muscle. Activities such as dance, martial arts, gymnastics, soccer… exercise that requires constant change of position, all help with brain health. Dr. Ratey starts by talking about a patient he had in 1981 who had been a marathon runner. The runner suffered an injury and subsequent depression, and began exhibiting signs of ADD. His whole life he had essentially been self medicating with exercise. They also talk about exercise to manage behavior in children by activating their brains instead of putting them on time out. Exercise is great for all ages and for many disorders or dysfunctions, exercise could help with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Treating with exercise is what I want to do. Exercise increases receptors of dopamine and norepinephrine, and is good for all of us, not just for treating mental of physical illness but for applying our brain and body the way they are designed to be used. Too easily we get sucked into other dopamine triggers like video games, alcohol, etc., which can damage our brains instead of strengthen them. Exercise is great for treating aggression, depression, self discipline, self respect, as well as developing our neuroplasticity.

If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it here. For more about Justine Ruotolo, click here.

Monday. The most productive day of my week, except when it comes to running. I’m still recovering from being sick, and this morning’s run didn’t happen. I set all my clothes out last night, I went to bed thinking about how nice it will be to get a run in at the beginning of my day and be balanced and focused. But this morning, my body had different plans

I went to bed at a decent time, got 7 hours of sleep, but when that alarm went off at 4, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I opted for the extra 90 minutes of sleep and now I feel a lot better. I will have to see about running tonight.

But now that I am thinking about it, do I have to run? Right now, I’m just trying to exercise and be healthier. I know I’ve been talking about cardio and stuff but I mostly run (if I do anything at all). Maybe it’s time to change that up. Maybe tonight I’ll play Dance Dance Revolution with my kids, or Just Dance; and get some movement in that way… I think I need some variety.

Cigarettes. A fellow quitter started back up last week and I was really put to the test as we spend quite a bit of time together and he smelled like cigarettes. I am happy to report, however, that I still have not smoked, and it’s now been 20 weeks. I’ve been drinking pretty heavily, and with some recent family drama regarding alcohol, this might be a good time to revisit my alcohol policy.

Food. Boy have I upped my sugar game. I have been eating so much candy. So. Much. Candy. That has to stop! I really feel awful too, when I go too long without decent food. So this week I’m back to home made Paleo chicken salad for lunch, and back to watching my carbs and getting more protein in my breakfast.

It’s time! July’s ADHD review is in. This month there were a few podcasts that resonated with me. While I would never say any one is better than another, this month we’ll take a look at Justine Ruotolo’s “Miss ADD” podcast. Justine has been an ADHD coach for 20 years. She leads a couple of support groups in the L.A. area, and hers was the very first podcast/broadcast I ever participated in.

Mary and Dave start by talking about how they met and fell in love. Justine then asked how they realized ADHD was a thing, and that it might have been affecting their relationship. How did Mary accept that David has ADHD? By the way, their daughter has it too! They are both certified behavioral analysts which really makes this interesting. Our ADHD is a gift but it is not perfect and there are sometimes issues we have to overcome and the show explores how this is done.

Mary and David speak of the covenant of their marriage, and how prayer and their devotion to each other mix with their analytical approach and allow them to separate the symptoms from the person with ADHD. They also talk about raising their ADHD daughter using their faith and experiences to help.

There’s more, and you’ll have to listen to get it all! I hope you enjoy it 🙂

Eric and Alex talk about a lot of pertinent material. Alex makes connections between fields of thought and talks about the obstacles that ADHD brings to his life. You will like this podcast if you can relate to never having a quiet mind, social awkwardness, seeing patterns and connections everywhere you look, not enjoying phone conversations, and forgetting peoples’ names; among other things. The main theme of the show is friendship, specifically how we socialize and how friends interact with us (or don’t).

Justine Ruotolo talks to Mary and David about the effects of ADHD in a relationship. Mary came to Justine’s support group one night to try to understand life with ADHD to better understand her husband and daughter and their ADHD. I instantly related because I am married to someone without ADHD and so understanding executive function (or lack thereof) is very important in my own journey. What is it like for a neurotypical spouse to sometimes feel like they are married to a child? What is it like for an ADHD spouse to feel like they are married to a parent? Find out, from this couple of 23 years.

Jennie talks to Corey about what it’s like finding yourself and accepting your ADHD. Corey’s spoken word piece about ADHD can be found Here. Corey has done a great job coming to terms with his ADHD. He’s dealt with judgement, medication, and now he’s living his life the way he chooses, embracing his ADHD. His ADHA. His Attention Deficit Hyperactive… Advantage.

I don’t put anything in the teaser that is not worth listening to. Please give these individuals the attention, shares, likes, and clicks they deserve.

As promised, I have begun listening to podcasts and reading blogs, and will be putting up some kind of review or commentary in June. I plan on providing some kind of monthly commentary on a book or one of several podcasts and blogs I will be catching up on this summer. I really want to learn more about ADHD, but it will not be 100% technical. Many of my favorite writers and speakers with ADHD don’t necessarily mention ADHD in everything they do. Continue reading →

It’s been a while since I updated you all on how my running is going. I have increased my mileage, and now have a “long run” every week, which is now ~4mi. otherwise I run 2 miles a day and walk for upwards of an hour.

I have started to experience again that mid-run meditation that used to be so helpful and calming. There is a lot of talk out there about mindfulness, and that meditation or calming activities are beneficial to various mental health situations, ADHD included. In times past I would have laughed at this notion; I can’t sit still long enough or focus on one thing long enough to meditate! Nowadays, though, I realize that back in those days I would get lost in thought during my runs, especially during longer road races. I would have an inner monologue (Often about the runner around me) and this would push away any other thoughts that would otherwise be racking my brain. This is meditation! Now that I am back to where I can run longer than 30 minutes, I am finding again that I can settle into that inner monologue and it’s relaxing. my form and distance is improving now by leaps and bounds, and it’s probably because I get lost in my own head and stop thinking about how tired I might be or what I would rather be doing. Hopefully I’ll get a decent 10k in this year!

Vacation blues (Revisited)

What you want from a vacation is not always what you get. Family reunions, especially. There are always those favorite relatives who couldn’t make it. That crazy aunt or uncle who drives everyone nuts (or is the life of the party). One thing I’ve always loved, however, is the break from reality. Drink a little more, eat a little worse, stay up a little later.